NFL players make league-wide demonstrations during national anthem after Trump's comments

By Sinclair Broadcast Group

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September 24, 2017 05:36 PM EDT

Players across NFL responded to President Tump's criticism of players kneeling in protest by making wide-spread demonstrations during the national anthem before Sunday's games, according to our affiliate WJLA.

Players, coaches and even owners from many teams were among those making a statement.

A rise is protests was expected after Trump's comments saying that NFL players who kneel during the anthem should be fired.

"Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, you'd say, 'Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out! He's fired,'" Trump said during a rally in Alabama on Friday.

Players around the league kneeled in large numbers during the anthem, starting with the Baltimore Ravens and Jacksonville Jaguars in London.

Players from the New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions, Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins and New Orleans Saints were all among teams with players kneeling during the anthem.

Members of the Broncos and Philadelphia Eagles could also be seen raising their fists during the anthem.

Almost all of the teams could be seen standing or kneeling with interlocking arms on the sidelines. Team owners like Shahid Khan of the Jaguars and Arthur Blank of the Atlanta Falcons even joined their players arm-in-arm on the sidelines.

The Pittsburgh Steelers decided to have the team stay in the locker room for the anthem, with left tackle and U.S. Army veteran Alejandro Villanueva the only player to join Steelers' coaches out on the field for the anthem.